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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · face · cell · ball · can · net · pop · firm

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — music
  4. rash — a series
  5. firm — steady
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pop — to visit
  8. firm — a company
  9. net — after costs
  10. face — part of the head
  11. net — for catching
  12. face — to confront
  13. firm — decided
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pop — soda
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com